Taking a chance
by Lemon Out
Summary: The clan try moving on from Alan's heart attack. But will their chances pay off?
1. Chapter 1

**This is only my second attempt at any fanfic so please be kind! I hope you enjoy it and please review, it would be much appreciated :) xx**

Chapter 1

"Er- Gillian? Could I have a word?" The doctor had poked his head around the door to Alan's room and, upon hearing her name, Gillian had jumped up to step outside.

"I'll just be a minute, Dad." She said as she walked out the door, closing it gently behind her. "Please say it's good news, Dr Trimbly. He's going bananas in here." She peered up hopefully at the middle-aged doctor's kind face.

"He _can _be discharged today.." the doctor started, pausing briefly to allow Gillian a little victory dance. "However, he _needs_ to a) take his medication at the right time and b) make sure he takes it with him wherever he goes."

Gillian nodded fiercely. "Of course.. thank you, thank you so much. I know he hasn't been in here long, but honest.. he's used to being out and about and doing his own thing, he's so unhappy being couped up in here."

"I understand, I just needed to reiterate those requirements about his medication. Also, as you're aware we have raised his beta-blockers dosage to almost double what it was before and introduced an ACE inhibitor to his script which he needs to take 3 times a day. Alongside that, the clopidogrel-" Dr Trimbly was cut off as Gillian held up her hand.

"Hang on, sorry. The what? Clop.." she gave up attempting to pronounce it, they all sounded like a different language to her. "What does that do again?"

"Clopidogrel.." the doctor repeated slowly, "it's an anti-clotting medication to prevent the platelets in his blood from clotting, which would lead to blood clots and other risks. Basically, it's just something to avoid any further complications." Gillian nodded, taking it all in. "So now Alan is on 3 medications and he needs to remember to take them at all times. There will be consequences if he doesn't, so will you try and drill that in to him?" He waited for Gillian to nod once again. "Okay, good. A health visitor will visit him every couple of days to start with and then we shall try and lessen those visits until he no longer needs them, though the nurses in that team will talk to you about that more at length, okay?"

"Right." Gillian nodded, feeling like all she was doing at the moment was nodding assent to different medical workers, acting like she knew what the hell everyone was on about when really she was just bloody scared and wanted someone to look after her, to make sure _she_ was alright... she wanted her dad. "Has the nurse told you that he's going to be staying at his .. er.. his fiancee's flat while he recuperates?" She had told them this information numerous times, but was still in doubt that any of them had actually passed on the message.

"Yes, Nurse Clarke did mention it. Why is he going to be staying there?"

"Because the distance between my house and Princess Royal hospital is longer than the distance between Celia's flat and Harrogate District Hospital. We want him as close to proper medical care as possible. It just makes sense." Gillian, Celia and Caroline had all talked about it at length, and this seemed like the most sensible solution. None of them wanted to be worrying about how long it would take to get him to hospital if Alan needed it. And Celia had been very nice about it, explaining that Gillian could come over whenever she wanted, all the time if she needed to. And even Raff could stay over in one of the spare rooms at Caroline's if he wanted. It had been decided that at the weekends, when Raff wasn't at school and when Gillian could wriggle out of shifts, they would both stay over in Harrogate.

"Okay. You do realize that it doesn't really, overly matter about the distance? The ambulance will get there as soon as they can if there is an emergency and that will be the same protocol whether he is here in Halifax or over in Harrogate?" He could understand the family being wary, they seemed a really close-knit unit, but he wanted them to be aware of their options.

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you, Dr Trimbly, I know you're trying to help, but we just feel more comfortable with him staying with Celia. And don't worry, I'll tell him about his medications. And Celia. _And _Caroline. He couldn't get away with not taking them if he tried." The doctor smiled briefly and nodded. "Can I go in and tell him the good news now? He'll be over the moon!" Once again the doctor nodded. "Thank you. Honest, you've been brilliant." Gillian had to keep herself from hugging the doctor tightly, she wasn't sure.. but she had an inkling that it wouldn't be the correct etiquette. She flashed the doctor one last big smile and headed back into Alan's room.

Alan was recounting some funny stories from back in the day at Jessop's to Caroline and Celia when Gillian returned to the room, causing all three heads to swivel to the door with expressions of hope in their faces.

"Okay.. you can leave, Dad!" Gillian started, waiting for the cheers to die down before she continued. "But the doctor told me to remind you about your medication. It's serious, Dad, you need to take them _wherever _you go, and you need to take them at the _correct _times. If not, you'll end up back in hospital." Alan squeezed Celia's hand while nodding his assent. "And he said to remind you again about the community nurses that will be coming to monitor you over the next couple of weeks. So make sure you're _in _when they say they're coming round. Alright?"

"Don't fret, love." Celia said, with a reassuring smile on her face. "I'll look after him. It's about time I spoiled him instead of the other way around."

"I know, Celia. Thank you. I don't know what we'd do without you." Gillian replied, thankful that Celia and her dad's relationship seemed to be back on track.

"And I'm literally a couple of metres away," Caroline grinned. "So he has _double_ protection!"

"I'm a lucky man." Alan laughed, excited at the prospect of finally getting out of this dump.

"You are!" Gillian agreed. "I'm guessing they're sorting out your discharge forms now, so we'd just better hold tight and then we can go. I'll come back to Celia's for a while and then head home. Raff will stay up all hours playing those bloody X-box games with Paul if I'm not there to keep an eye on them." she rolled her eyes. "Actually, I'm just gonna nip outside to give him a quick call now. He should be back from Robbie's by now and I know he'll be chuffed to hear the good news."

xxx

Life for the Buttershaw/Dawson/Elliot family had pretty much been held on pause for the past 2 weeks while Alan had been in hospital. Celia had practically moved into the hospital and regularly joked that she should be paying rent for staying there the amount of time she'd had. Caroline had been driving over from Harrogate almost every school evening and at the weekends to support her mother.. John had shown some sense of decency and had been around quite a bit to look after the boys while Caroline had been doing her almost daily flits between home and the hospital. Gillian had been spending her time between Raff and her dad, though she was due back in work tomorrow after taking 2 weeks off to be with her father. It had taken it's toll on all of them and the news that Alan was being sent home gave them all a sense of relief. Although he still had a long way to go until he was _better_, he had improved greatly and everyone had agreed that he was more likely to make more steps while at home rather than being stuck in a hospital.

Celia was looking forward to having Alan with her so she could look after him herself. She knew that the nurses were probably doing their best, but she was convinced that she could do better and was eager to prove herself. She'd hated seeing Alan looking so lost and vulnerable in his bloody hospital bed and just knew he'd be more comfortable when he was out of there.

Caroline was sorely missing her girlfriend, who she'd hardly seen due to trying to balance her work, the boys and her mother. Kate, to her limitless credit, had been hugely understanding of the situation and accepted that, for the minute, late-night phone-calls and the odd sneaky five minutes caught in school was all Caroline was capable of at the minute. Caroline couldn't wait to call Kate and tell her the good news.

Gillian was ecstatic at the news of Alan's discharge. Ever since her mother had died, Gillian had despised hospitals. The smell, the atmosphere, the moans and tears of death and the cries of babies being given life made her feel ill. Although she would have stayed there for a year if that's what her dad needed from her, the knowledge that he was soon to be sent home made her feel like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. The only dampener on this situation was the fact that now Robbie would be wanting to spend some more time with her, she would have to answer numerous missed calls from John and she expected Paul to be full of his usual catty, yet extremely thick, remarks. However, she was willing to pay this price for not having to go into this shitty hospital every bloody day.

xxx

"Hello?"

"Hi." the smile in Caroline's voice was evident.

"Well, hello you!" Kate replied, pushing aside her marking with relish and letting the feeling of happiness at hearing Caroline's voice wash over her. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yes. More than okay, in fact. Alan has been discharged from hospital. Which means..." she let her voice trail off, knowing that the open suggestion would make Kate grin.

"Which means?" Kate set her red pen down and leaned back into her sofa awaiting Caroline's response.

"Which means.. what are you doing tomorrow evening?" Caroline was sat in her car in the hospital's car park, having already seen Celia and Alan drive away in the Lexus closely followed by Gillian.

"Absolutely nothing." Kate knew that even if she'd had a diary chock-a-block with appointments she would have cancelled every single one to spend time with her girlfriend. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking.. I could come over yours after school. Say.. 4.30pm? Oh.. hang on, you don't have any after-school groups to run do you?"

"Nope. Not on Mondays. It's only on Tuesdays and Fridays. Thought you would have memorized this by now!" she teased, knowing that Caroline's response would be an involuntary pout and slight frown and wishing she was there to see it.

"Humph." Caroline pouted and her forehead crinkled slightly. "So.. you'll be home by 4.30pm then? What about marking?"

"Don't worry about the marking, I'm doing it tonight. Tomorrow will just be me and you." Kate grinned excitedly at the thought. "Shall I cook dinner?"

"Oh, yes. That would be lovely. Have you got anything in mind?" Caroline asked, wanting to keep on the phone to her girlfriend for as long as possible, never quite feeling as calm and happy as she did when she was talking to Kate. The only thing that would make this better would be seeing her face-to-face.

"Well..." Kate paused, headed to the kitchen to check the fridge and then continued. "I have chicken here, I could marinade it tonight and we could have a nice Bombay curry?"

"That sounds _very_ nice. I hope you're going to make a nice dessert, too?" Caroline smiled widely into the phone, allowing herself to feel relief about Alan, her mother, Gillian.. and yes, for herself as she leaned back into her seat.

"Hmm. For dessert I was thinking.. you.. on a silver platter.. so, I mean, if you could bring the silver platter, that would be great." Kate giggled upon imagining Caroline's expression. "I can't wait to see you." Her tone of voice lowered with intensity.

"You see me everyday!" Caroline joked, before continuing with more seriousness, "I know what you mean. I'm sorry that everything has been so up in the air."

"Shh. It's okay," Kate cradled the phone between her ear and neck, dicing the chicken as she spoke. "I understand. I'm just thrilled Alan has been discharged. I bet he's got a smile bigger than the Chesire Cat's!"

"He has. I don't think he fully realizes that he might as well stay in hospital for all the fussing mum will do over him." Caroline laughed. "Honestly though, thank you. You have been amazing. You're wonderful. Putting up with not only me, but the madhouse that is my family. I know things haven't run as smoothly as we would have hoped."

"You're worth the wait, Dr Elliot." Kate soothed. "Don't think about it right now, just focus on tomorrow night. How are the boys?" she asked. Even though she'd seen them over the past couple of weeks, she'd been sure to be respectful and not approach them what with all the drama that had been happening recently. However, Lawrence had come to her in his lunch break a few times just to 'talk' and William had been popping into her classroom for no particular reason, which she'd felt reassured by. While the boys had both been very welcoming of her relationship with their mother, she hadn't been sure if it was because they generally were fine with it and happy to accept Kate or if it had been to appease Caroline. After their numerous visits and fleeting conversations, Kate felt more at ease and was pleased that the boys were so open-minded and kind. They were definitely their mother's children.

"Oh they're fine. They'll be thrilled with the news of Alan. William has told me about how he has had to bite his tongue with John because he's been a bit of a knob and even Lawrence hasn't seemed thrilled with his dad being around this much. So.. I figure they'll be relieved. To be honest, I think they would have coped fine by themselves without John mooching around but I think John is trying to prove a point about being a good parent or some drivel." Caroline briefly paused for breath before continuing, "He's been spending a lot of time with Judith too, poor bitch. Still, it's not my concern anymore. What are you going to do tonight?" she was eager to change the subject, not because she felt uncomfortable discussing it, God she would have to care to feel like that, but because she would rather spend her time talking to Kate about things that mattered to her.

"Tell them I say hi when you get in." Kate said, referring to the boys. "Tonight I shall be sorting out this chicken and then resuming marking. And after that's all done and dusted I shall be preparing myself for the joy that is 9F first thing in the morning."

"Oh you poor thing. And there I was thinking we could have a sneaky appointment first thing in the morning." Caroline chuckled, not being able to resist teasing her girlfriend.

"Don't tempt me. One more word from you and I'll call in sick just to sneak into your office during first period!"

"Should you be saying that to your boss, Miss McKenzie?!" was the reply, the jest all too clear in her voice. "You don't want to be given detention now, do you?!"

"Depends on the teacher. If it's you, I'll have detention every day of the week!" They both laughed then, each giddy with the thought that their relationship could finally begin moving forward again.

"I have to go.." the regret was plain in Caroline's tone. "I need to get back to sort out the boys and check on Alan and mum. If I don't get to bed too late, I'll give you a ring."

"Okay. Thanks for ringing me to let me know about Alan. Say hello to him for me." Kate almost had a feeling of kinship with him after he'd been so kind and supportive of her during _that_ particular first dinner with him and Celia. "I'm _very _much looking forward to tomorrow."

"I know the feeling! And I'll pass on your 'hello's' to Alan. Oh, before I forget.. have I ever told you how amazing and pretty and lovely you are?!" Caroline felt alive and free, the way she always felt when she was talking to Kate.

"I think you mentioned it once or twice," Kate coughed and Caroline knew it was to hide her embarrassment at the compliments being sent her way. "And just to let you know.. I think you are magnificent. Always."

"You're going to have to learn to accept a compliment one day, Miss McKenzie. And I shall make sure you have them every day until you get your head around the fact that you are _so _much more amazing than you give yourself credit for." Caroline's voice was laced with warmth and affection, and right now, she wished for nothing more than being with Kate, looking into her eyes and telling her just what she thought of her.

"That's enough, you! I thought you said you need to head back home, huh? If I don't speak to you later, I'll speak to you tomorrow, love."

After a prolonged good-bye, the ladies finally ended their call and Caroline started the ignition, beaming like a mad-woman and feeling like a teenager. She was following her heart for once, regardless of what everyone else thought. It felt good. It felt bloody scary. She was taking a chance.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Caroline rapped smartly on the door to Celia's flat. It was mid-evening and Caroline thought she should check in on Alan and her mother before she could go back home and relax.

"Hello, dear" Celia said upon opening the door. "Do you want to come in?"

"Yeah, I will for just a minute thanks," her daughter replied, looking briefly around the room. "Where's Alan?"

"He's in bed, all the excitement is too much for him, you see?" Celia smiled; she looked tired, Caroline noted, but definitely much happier than just a few hours ago.

Caroline headed for the sofa and was about to sit down when she saw something white sticking out from under one of the cushions. She glanced over at her mother, who was looking a bit shifty and embarrassed, before pulling at the hidden item. "_Mother_!" she gasped, her hand flying up to her chest in mock shock.

"I know, I know," Celia said forlornly, "I _have_ been trying, but it's a hard habit to break after fifty-odd years."

Caroline looked down at the Daily Mail. "I thought you told Alan you'd given up?!"

"I did. I lasted about... oooh.. five days? And then I had this slip up, but it's not uncommon you know? For people to fall off the wagon and all that nonsense. It's going on all the time nowadays.. I should know, I read about it in the Daily Mail earlier."

Caroline chuckled before putting the paper back in its hiding place. "Our little secret then, eh, Mum?" she winked as she sat down.

"Yes, I think so." Celia nodded emphatically, enjoying this banter that _should_ be normal in a mother and daughter relationship but that they were still learning. "How's Kate?"

"Ah, she's fine." Celia couldn't help but notice her daughter's face light up at just the mention of Kate. "I told her about Alan and she said to say hello to you both."

"Oh, that's nice. When Alan is a bit better would you like to bring Kate here and I'll cook? Or we could come back to yours again? Maybe we could go out to eat?" Caroline knew Celia was trying really hard to prove she was now okay with her daughter's relationship and so she smiled at her mother's awkwardness and leaned over to hold her hand.

"Thank you, Mum. Kate would love that." Bit of a fib there, Kate was still terrified, quite understandably, of Celia, but Caroline knew that she would jump at the chance to dine with them again, if only with the hope of replacing the unpleasant memories of their last attempt with new, hopefully better ones. "I'll mention it to her when I next see her. What time did Gillian go? I'd hoped to catch her."

"Er-" Celia checked her watch, "About an hour ago I had to get back to Raffy and that Paul lad. Are William and Laurence okay?"

"Yeah, they're fine, thanks Mum. I told them about Alan being home now and they were really pleased. Oh, I'd meant to ask you actually.. are you planning on being in tomorrow evening? If so, the boys said they wanted to come around to see you both if that's okay. I said I'd have to ask you first, of course." she smiled as she thought of how she was going to spending the following evening and a small shiver ran down her spine. Her mother began talking, pulling her out of her rather blissful reverie.

"Oh, that would be lovely. Of course they can come over, it'll be nice to see them a bit more now what with all the drama of late." Celia smiled before yawning, giving Caroline the chance to wrap up their conversation, go home, get changed and hopefully have a rather lovely late-night-pre-sleep phone-call with her girlfriend.

xxx

"Mum? _Mum_?!" Laurence's voice carried down the stairs until reaching Caroline who was in the kitchen buttering toast for her and the boys.

"What?!" she replied, exasperatedly. She was almost positive that she knew how this conversation would play out.

"Where are my trainers?"

She sighed, yep. This was about right. "We have this conversation almost _every _morning, Laurence. They will be where you last left them. Have a look around, use your _eyes_!"

"Yeah Florence," William piped up, his voice garbled around a mouthful of toast. "Open your _eyes_!" He started to say something else but his mother, who was convinced it wouldn't be something exactly supportive, silenced him with a look.

"I've found them!" Laurence called, "Thanks Mum!"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Er- you're welcome? Anyway, come down and get your toast before it goes cold, please."

Twenty minutes later, they were all piled in the car heading to Sulgrave Heath Independent School; William with his head buried in some textbook or another, cramming as much revision in as he could by the looks of it, Laurence was bopping his head rather alarmingly to the rhthym of whatever was playing on his iPod and Caroline was in a world of her own, a smile touching her lips as she recounted the conversation she'd had with Kate before she'd gone to sleep.

xxx

Caroline sat at her desk, leaning back against the chair with her eyes closed. Today had been stressful so far and no matter how much deep breathing she did, or how many distraction techniques she used, it was pointless, she felt as wound up as a coil. As she heard someone knock the door she glanced up at the clock. Two more hours. Two more hours until she would be with Kate. She could do two more hours couldn't she? Well, there wasn't much choice. She sighed.

"Come in," she called, knowing it would be Beverley with her cup of tea. As her secretary entered, Caroline gave her a brief smile and accepted the drink gratefully. "Thank you."

"Are you alright?" Beverley asked, her voice tentative. She'd noted that her boss looked particularly annoyed and wondered if Caroline was still annoyed about the fact that she'd accidentally double-booked her for two important meetings.

"Yes. No. Yes." Caroline peered over the cup in her hands to smile again at her colleague. "You know how it is. It'll pass. Thank you, Beverley."

As Beverley left the room, Caroline braced her cheek with her hand and stared at the document on her computer, not being able to concentrate. After a couple of minutes she took her glasses off and slammed them on the table with more force than was necessary. She closed her eyes once more only to be disturbed by someone knocking on the door. Again.

"What?" she barked, before silently reprimanding herself and trying to implement a softer tone into her voice. "Come in." She looked at the door expectantly, watching it open, in half a mind to bollock whoever the hell it was, just to let off some steam. Not her usual tack, and a damn sight unprofessional, but right now she wasn't sure she cared. However, all of these emotions paled into insignificance when Kate walked into the office. Caroline's stern frown was immediately replaced with a grin as she beckoned Kate over. "Thank God it's you." she murmured, feeling herself relax slightly.

"Thank God?" Kate laughed as she crossed the room, standing next to Caroline and leaning against the desk. "Bit much isn't it? You know the real person to thank? My amazing boss for giving me a free period." she teased, placing her hand on Caroline's shoulder. "Stressful day?"

"You could say that. And it would be a huge understatement." Caroline sighed, leaning into Kate's palm briefly before straightening up.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kate asked, looking at her girlfriend with concerned eyes.

"Oh, it's just the usual," Caroline paused, not knowing whether to answer like Kate's girlfriend or Kate's boss. It was always difficult trying to find the balance but she trusted Kate implicitly and knew that she would never divulge any information that Caroline shared. "Beverley cocked up my diary for next week so I had to grovel to Gavin and ask if he minded desperately if our meeting were changed, he's an arrogant prick. Sarah was in this morning crying about 9 bloody F. Fourth time in the past week that I've had to deal with them. And then I spent just under an hour trying to dissuade Jane from retiring. If she goes now I have no one I feel is capable of heading the geography department, whereas if she just waited another year I'd feel a lot more comfortable with it. Kelly is a bright teacher, she just needs a bit more experience."

"Uh-oh." Kate replied, giving her girlfriend's shoulder another reassuring squeeze. "Did you get anywhere with Jane?" She really liked Jane Aspinall and would be sorry to see her go if she did decide to leave.

"I don't know," she frowned slightly. "She said she'd let me know by the end of the week. I hope so." She shook her head slightly as if to dispel the worry and shifted in her chair slightly so she could see Kate. "Anyway, enough of that. How is your day going?"

Kate grinned at her. "Not too shabby, actually. I had 10S for double period this morning and they're all good as gold so that was fine. Then I had 8F who, as you know, can be rather cheeky but they've all come on so much in their French that I can't really complain. They're good kids. Then I did prep, which was nice because the staffroom was empty. And now I'm on my free period which is turning out to the best part of my day so far." Kate looked intently at Caroline, once again having to refrain from pinching herself incase this was just another of her fantasies. She still found it hard to believe that her and Caroline were an item after all this time.

Caroline gazed back at Kate before standing up suddenly and walking over to the window, leaning against the panelling to face Kate who had shifted position as Caroline had moved and was now leaning lightly against the bookcase. She remained staring at Kate, drinking in the face that had kept her mesmerized recently and feeling the starting pangs of desire as her eyes lingered on Kate's mouth.

As Kate stood there, she couldn't help skimming her eyes up and down Caroline's body, taking note of the blue pinstriped shirt that had the two top buttons undone, nothing provactive but enough to kickstart Kate's heart, eyes sweeping over the black suit jacket that seemed to embrace the shirt, not tight enough to cause offense or be inappropriate, but hugging Caroline's chest in such a way that caused Kate to bite her lower lip. She was unaware of her girlfriend staring at her as her gaze drifted down to the black pencil skirt Caroline was wearing, eyes dropping lower and taking in the sight of her tights-clad legs and finally stopping their journey when they rested upon the black heels. It was a couple of moments before she realized that Caroline must be noticing the fact that Kate was staring at her shoes but she was unable to wrench her gaze away.

Caroline, feeling in a teasing mood, wiggled her left foot slightly causing Kate to finally look up, feeling embarrassed at being caught ogling Caroline, slightly worried about her girlfriend knowing just how much of an effect she had on Kate. "Sorry," she said, biting her lip again, cheeks flushed.

"What an earth are you sorry for?" Caroline smiled widely. "It's been.. a very long time.. since I felt even vaguely fanciable. You're doing wonders for my self-esteem." she joked, but Kate knew that there was a lot of truth lurking behind that facade.

Kate crossed over to where Caroline was standing. "You are beautiful." she said, and the sincerity was obvious. When she saw Caroline look away, she cupped her girlfriend's face in her hands. "I'm serious," she started, her voice low and intense, feeling an overwhelming need - as she so often did nowadays - to let Caroline know just how she felt, how she viewed her. "You're wonderful," she kissed Caroline as if it make her point clear, "you're gorgeous," another kiss, "divine," another, "and amazing." She leaned even closer, their bodies pressed against each other. "And.. you are fucking sexy." she growled, and as she started to pull away after delivering yet another kiss, Caroline wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in tight, reveling in the feel of Kate's lips energetically moving against hers.

After a disappointingly short while Kate disentangled herself from Caroline's arms and took a step back, feeling breathless. "Don't tempt me too much today," she said huskily. "There is only a very small piece of decorum that is stopping me from pouncing on you right now."

Caroline laughed as she leaned back again, not sure she quite trusted her legs to keep her upright without support for the minute. "I have to say, I wouldn't mind being _pounced _on. You're probably right though. I think we'd cause quite a stir if one of my staff walked in to find their boss in a steamy clinch with one of her teachers." She smiled impishly. "Her _favourite_ teacher." she amended. Her heart was still pounding erratically as she desperately clung onto every ounce of self-control that she had to remain where she was stood and not act out the scene she'd just described.

Kate cleared her throat, trying to clear her mind at the same time, "I should go," she started, the regret clear in her voice. "I promised Lisa Sanders that I would go through her German homework with her as she's struggling with it." Caroline nodded as Kate approached her swiftly, leaning forward and whispering in her ear "Though I can't _wait _to do naughty things with you later."

At that, Kate left, leaving a rather wobbly Caroline to return to her desk. As she sat down, she thought of how she felt like a teenager in the throes of a first crush, and laughed quietly as she realized she probably resembled one of the many young women within her school who were dreaming about their someone special. With a smile on her face, she returned her attention to her computer and happily settled into work.

xxx

At 3.45pm Caroline was making the final notes on a piece of paper for the meeting she had the next day. She'd just told Beverley that she could go and was eagerly eyeing the clock herself as the time seemed to drag. Someone knocked lightly on her door and before she'd had a chance to respond it was already opening and William came into the office, followed closely by Laurence.

"Hello boys," Caroline smiled, "You both okay?"

"Yeah," William nodded, "Just thought we'd pop in and say bye before going home."

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you back before I go out? I don't mind, I've told you that."

"No!" Laurence said quickly, causing both his mother and brother to look at him with a mixture of confusion and amusement. "I like getting the bus sometimes and Josh is getting it tonight, too." He explained, reddening slightly when his mother grinned.

"It's okay, I get it. I'm just not cool enough to be seen with. My babies are growing up!" She pretended to wipe a tear from her eye which caused them all to giggle. Caroline had never been great at dramatics, she'd have been a rubbish drama teacher.

"Is dad going to be there tonight?" William asked, a frown in place at the mere thought of it.

"I don't know, love. He's still living with us, so maybe." There was a lot Caroline wanted to say about her soon-to-be-ex husband but she was always careful when speaking to the boys about him. There was no way on earth she would dream of making things awkward for them.

"He is not! He spends most of his time pissing off elsewhere. Which is fine, actually, I just wish he'd do it permanently." William scowled, not even put off by the glare he received from his mum.

"We need to go, Mum!" Laurence said impatiently, "We'll miss the bus if we don't." He was already edging back towards the door.

"Alright, alright!" Caroline raised her arms in mock surrender. "Don't forget to visit Granny and Alan, okay? And I'll be home later. If you need me before.. well, you know just to call me anyway."

"Stop fretting, Mum." William replied, once again sounding much more mature than his age would suggest. "Have a nice time, don't rush back, we'll be fine. And we won't forget to go and see Granny either." He leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek before joining his brother by the door.

"Bye boys." she said to their retreating backs .

"Tell Kate I said hi!" Laurence called behind him. "See you later!"

Caroline watched them go and once they were out of sight she leaned back in her chair. She was tempted to just leave now and drive over to Kate's but she knew Kate wouldn't be home yet as she was stopping at the supermarket on the way back to pick up the stuff she needed for the curry. She decided to call Gillian.

"Hello?" a voice that most certainly wasn't Gillian's answered the phone. Caroline removed the phone from her ear and checked the screen, thinking she must have pressed the wrong button. Bloody touch phones. But no, she definitely hadn't so she pressed the phone back to her ear.

"John? Why are you answering Gillian's phone?" she demanded, at once worrying that he was bothering the poor girl.

"Oh! Erm.. er- I just popped around to say hi, that's all." He sounded defensive and Caroline immediately knew he wasn't up to no good.

"Fine. Will you get her for me then?" she said icily.

"Who?"

"Jesus Christ! Gillian! Will you get _Gillian_ for me?!" she could hear him shouting in the distance and waited, losing patience.

"Hello?"

"Hi Gillian, it's Caroline."

"Oh! Hi Caroline, everything alright?" Gillian sounded worried, probably thinking something was up with Alan so Caroline was quick to reassure her.

"Everything's fine! I spoke to Mum earlier briefly and she said Alan was running her ragged," Caroline joked, "She loves it though, wouldn't have it any other way."

"Oh good. I just get worried, you know?"

"Of course you do. Er- I just want to apologize now if my idiot of a husband is hassling you. He is dense, just tell him to 'piss off' if he keeps turning up." She felt embarrassed for introducing them in the first place, for inflicting John on poor Gillian, who had enough to deal with.

"Right.. yeah.. right. Yeah, I will do, thanks Caroline." Was it Caroline's imagination or did Gillian sound slightly uncomfortable? She brushed the thought to one side.

"No problem. I was just calling because William is going to the cinema to see some film or another and is taking Laurence with him and I was thinking, seeming as you and Raff will be staying at ours over the weekend anyway, does Raff want to come over on the Friday instead of the Saturday so he can go too? I wanted to ask you last night but you'd gone by the time I managed to get over to Mum's."

"Aw, that's really nice. Thanks Caroline. He's out with Robbie at the moment, but I'll ask him when he gets in. Can I let you know tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course. Okay, well I just wanted to call you for that really so I'll leave you to it. And like I said, if John gets too much, just send him packing." she smiled into the phone.

"Er- yeah. Will do. Thanks again. I'll speak to you soon, Caroline."

"Bye." Caroline hung up the phone, wondering what was the matter with Gillian, presuming it was all the worry of her dad being ill.

She glanced at the clock, noting that only fifteen minutes had passed and sighed. She really wasn't in the mood to any more work and there was nothing there that couldn't wait until tomorrow. Feeling like a naughty child, she clicked on the Solitaire icon on her computer and grinned to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Caroline took one last self-conscious look in the mirror and deftly clamboured out of the car - she might have made it look easy, but that car was bloody big.. it was like a death-trap. As she rounded the corner to walk up the pathway she checked her watch for what felt like the hundredth time that day; it was 4.36pm. Her plans with Kate had been for her to get there at 4.30, and little was Kate to know that in fact Caroline had spent the past fifteen minutes sat in her car just out of view of Kate's house. And then when she had opened the driver's door at precisely 4.29, her typical nerves kicked in and she hurriedly closed it again. She didn't want Kate thinking that she'd been sat out her waiting like an idiot, surely it would seem far more.. sophisticated.. to wait for a couple more minutes. Rationally, Caroline knew this was just her insecurities weighing her down as they so liked to do, causing her to hold back, the fear of being hurt in the end out-weighing the need to let Kate know just how crazy she was about her girlfriend. After having a rather heated argument with herself, her insecurities had backed off.. for now at least.. and so here she was, almost at the door, her hand brushing non-existent dust from her skirt. She knocked loudly, still cursing her negative self-beliefs and thoughts, wishing that for once she could approach this like a normal human being, but no.. everything had to be so much more complicated than that apparently. However, when Kate opened the door with a grin, Caroline felt all her niggles and annoyances slip away and she reciprocated the happy smile as she stepped into the house.

Caroline heard the door close behind her and whipped around, the exhilaration of being with Kate making her feel almost overwhelmed with emotion. She nearly collided with Kate, causing them both to chuckle weakly before she leaned forward and gave Kate a soft, gentle kiss. Pulling back, she turned back and headed for the living room, secretly feeling thrilled again that all of this felt so.. normal. Kate followed her in and they both sat down on the sofa.

"Hi.." Caroline grinned, aware that they hadn't said a word to each other yet.

"That was a nice greeting," Kate laughed lightly. "I could get used to that."

"Oh, I think you should. I'm certain that it'll become a regular occurrence. You might get bored of it soon enough." Caroline raised an eyebrow slightly, her small smile dispelling any attempted credence of mock hurt.

"Never," Kate replied, reaching over to plant another tender kiss upon her girlfriend's lips. As she moved away, she heard a sound of discontent and smiled to herself before shifting herself around so her head was positioned on Caroline's lap, her legs stretched out across the sofa and her arms laid across her stomach. Caroline immediately lifted her hand, pausing as she placed it gently along Kate's cheek and then moving it so she could rake her fingers through Kate's silky hair. Kate briefly closed her eyes, reveling in how amazing all of this was, before opening them again and looking up at her girlfriend with a smile. "How was the rest of your afternoon?"

"Slow," Caroline answered truthfully. "After a certain somebody.." she looked pointedly at Kate, "..came into my office and left me a weak-kneed, shaky, hot and bothered mess of a headteacher, I couldn't settle, so I spent my time watching the clock very much like a teenager and then I gave up and played some Solitaire." She grinned in spite of herself. "I'm considering making it a fixed daily appointment. What do you think?"

"I'm in. What time best suits you, Dr?" Kate teased, remembering how it had been a struggle for her to concentrate after leaving Caroline's office earlier too. "So apart from a very inconsiderate employee coming in and disturbing you, your afternoon was okay?"

"Actually, my very amazing _girlfriend _coming in and distracting me was the best part of my day. But yes, the afternoon was much better than the morning, thank you." She leaned over slightly to grasp one of Kate's hands in her own, moving them to rest against Kate's shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. "How was yours?"

"It was pretty good. I helped Lisa with her homework which didn't actually take too long, she doesn't give herself enough credit, that one." She smiled briefly before starting to continue, stopping when Caroline piped up.

"I know someone else like that." Another squeeze of Kate's hand. "Someone who doesn't give herself enough credit." Kate averted her gaze, her free hand plucking uncomfortably at her top. "You are.. you're fabulous. I wish you'd believe me." She caught Kate's eyes then, trying to telepathically show her just how much she meant that.

"Thank you," Kate said softly. "Really, thank you. Anyway," Her voice grew stronger at the opportunity to change the subject, "Then I had 8S, and then I popped into Waitrose and came home to sort out tea."

"It smells gorgeous, by the way." Caroline smiled, "I know I'm probably leaving it too late, but do you need a hand with anything?"

Kate laughed and rolled her eyes. "You can be such a man!" she said, still chuckling as she saw Caroline pretending to be offended. "No, there's nothing left to do now, I'll put the rice on in 10 minutes, so it'll be ready soon. Hope you're hungry?"

"Famished! Though, I must say.." she paused, a twinkle in her eye, "I am rather looking forward to.. ahem.. dessert." She winked at her girlfriend, feeling incredibly lucky, not a feeling she was used to.

"I hope you brought that silver platter!"

xxx

"Honestly, it can wait until later, leave them." Kate rolled her eyes as Caroline ignored her and turned on the hot tap, pouring Fairy Liquid into the sink bowl as she did so.

"You cooked, I'll clear. It's only fair." Caroline smiled, "Do you have any marigolds? They protect the hands you know."

"If I say no, will you leave them and come back to the living room?" She didn't hold out much hope. "Fine, just in the cupboard under the sink." Kate sighed as Caroline immediately began searching for them. This was the first evening they'd had together in ages and they didn't have tons of time before Caroline had to head back home. Dishes had not been on Kate's agenda. As she watched her girlfriend pull on the gloves, she had to stifle a laugh as the sheer ridiculousness of what was in front of her suddenly caught her attention. Her boss was in her kitchen, kitted out in her headmistress-y but very sexy outfit completed with a pair of marigolds and bubbles that had somehow found their way to her cheek.

"What are you giggling at?!" Caroline asked, Kate's muffled chuckle causing her to look up.

"You!" Kate grinned, biting her lip to stop any further laughter escaping. She walked over to Caroline and gently brushed the bubbles from her cheek. "That's better." she said softly, looking into Caroline's eyes intently. For a moment, they were both enchanted by each other's gaze before Caroline suddenly remembered what she was supposed to be doing and raised an eyebrow.

"Stop trying to distract me, I'm trying to help!" she said, not completely able to hide the smile in her voice. She turned towards the bowl again and started.

Kate observed her for a minute, making a mental note to cook something that used less crockery and pans next time her girlfriend came over. Her note making soon went awry though as Caroline shifted slightly where she stood, tucking one heel behind the other, entrancing Kate. Without so much as a word, Kate approached Caroline. From how the two women were positioned - with Caroline's back to Kate - she managed to walk up to her completely undetected. In fact, Caroline only noticed Kate's presence when Kate wrapped her arms around her waist, and rested her head on her shoulder.

Caroline leaned back into the younger woman's embrace. "Mmm.." she murmured quietly, eyes closing in content. "You really don't want me to do these dishes, do you?!"

"I just think.." Kate paused briefly, turning her head and placing a kiss on Caroline's neck, ".. that we could.." she placed another one a little further up, ".. be spending our time a little bit better than doing dishes. Don't you agree?" Caroline felt Kate's lips press into a smile against her neck.

"What did you have in mind?" she replied, her stomach doing the flips she so regularly experienced while around Kate. "I don't have to be back for a good.." she checked her watch, it was only 6pm, ".. ooh, 4 hours? 5 at a push. Laurence knows to go to bed if I'm not home in time. He's a good kid. And William's just going to be revising. Last exam in a couple of days."

"Anything! Talking.. or.. continuing where we left off earlier.." Kate said, her breath blowing softly on Caroline's skin and making her gasp slightly.

Caroline removed her hands from the sink and took off the rather unattractive yellow gloves. As she began to answer Kate, her phone rang causing them both to jump slightly. Disentangling herself from her girlfriend's embrace, Caroline hurried to her handbag, pulling the phone out straight away and answering without even thinking to check caller ID. She gave Kate an apologetic look.

"Hello?"

"Hello, love. It's Mum." Celia's voice, always a tiny bit too loud when she spoke on the phone, came through the speaker.

"Hi Mum. Is everything okay?" Caroline moved towards the counter again and leaned against it, an expression of worry on her face.

"Oh yes, Caroline. Alan's feeling better today, he spent an hour moaning about David Cameron."

"That's good. And he's right by the way, mum, just so you know." Caroline shrugged in response to Kate's questioning look before covering the microphone with her mouth and saying quietly; "I have no idea what she wants. It doesn't seem to be anything serious."

"And Gordon Brown was much better?" Celia was saying as Caroline returned her attention to the phone.

"Yes. He was! He might have been a bit of an idiot, but aren't all men? Anyway, can we talk about this later?" Caroline said, rolling her eyes. "What did you actually call up for?"

"Oh, that. The boys have just been over and William said that John isn't home." As Celia spoke, Kate led the way into the living room, waiting for Caroline to sit down before scooting up close on the sofa and resting her head on Caroline's chest.

"Right.. are the boys okay?" she asked, putting her arm around her girlfriend and holding her close.

"Yes.. but John's not there." Celia sounded as if she were trying to talk to a small child.

"Yes Mother, I gathered that. It's probably for the best that he isn't there, William and Laurence seem to be struggling with him at the moment. Anyway, it's not like I'm going to be out all night and you're literally less than a minute away. And they're both mature.. I'm sorry, I don't see what the problem is."

"Oh. Well, nothing, I suppose. I just thought I'd let you know, that's all. Oh, are you at Kate's?"

Caroline rolled her eyes again. She had told her Mum this while on the phone earlier. "Yes. I told you that I would be when you called this afternoon."

"Sorry. Have you asked her about whether she would like to come for tea with us soon?"

"No, I haven't asked her yet. But I will." she paused, trying to gauge how rude it would be to say bye and hang up. Okay, probably pretty rude. "Mum, do you mind if I talk to you later?"

"Of course! Sorry, dear. Tell Kate I say hello, will you? Oh, and Alan wants to say hi too."

"I will do. Okay, I'll speak to you soon, okay?"

"Yes. Take care, Caroline. Bye."

As she put down the phone, Kate twisted around to look at her. "Everything okay?"

"Yes," Caroline smiled reassuringly. "Just Mother being.. well, Mother. Letting me know that John isn't home. Again. Didn't take him long to revert to his usual ways."

"Do you want to-" Kate started, trying to hide her disappointment.

"No. I don't want to go home. They didn't want him there in the first place. Anyway, I haven't seen you properly in.. well, it's been too long."

"Are you sure?"

It touched Caroline that Kate seemed to have so much understanding when it came to her rather topsy-turvy life. She loved how Kate was willing to take her, and all of her baggage, on and even when she didn't want Caroline to go, she would still offer. And if Caroline had said 'Yes, I need to go.', Kate wouldn't have kicked up a fuss. For the thousandth time, Caroline realized just how lucky she was. "I'm positive, Kate. Thank you though. I know I don't tell you how much I appreciate you and how grateful I am for how wonderful you are, but you really are just.. amazing. Just because I don't say it aloud, it doesn't mean I don't understand that."

Kate blushed and ducked her head back under her girlfriend's arm. "This is only what you deserve, Caroline. I hope you realize that." Before Caroline could protest, she changed the subject. "What are you supposed to ask me anyway?"

"Oh.. that. Well.. okay, remember, you can say no if you don't want to, and I'll just make up some excuse. I don't want you to feel any pressure, so don't worry about that at all, it's really not-" Now it was time for Caroline to be interrupted.

"I can't say no unless I know what it is." Kate teased, leaning in closer to Caroline to reassure her. "Why are you sounding so nervous?!"

"Mum was wondering if you wanted to come for tea with her and Alan. And me, obviously." Caroline said this is one breath, as if trying to get it out as fast as possible.

"Okay." Kate said, though Caroline could feel her stiffen slightly beneath her arm.

"Honestly, after the way Mother behaved last time, no one would blame you if you don't want to do this." Caroline said reassuringly, once again cursing Celia for how that first attempt had gone.

"Caroline.. stop. It's okay. Celia was the one who got us back together if you remember. She really loves you and she's clearly trying her best to make amends, though she doesn't really need to. Of course I'll come. I'll keep my hands off you this time though." Kate teased gently, immediately wanting to quell Caroline's obvious anxiety about it while also trying to convince herself that this was a good idea.

"You bloody well won't." Caroline retorted, squeezing Kate close to her again. "We'll be holding hands the whole night through, thank you very much!"

"I think.. and this is just a mere observation.. but I think that would make the whole 'eating' part of the situation a bit difficult." Kate grinned as she heard Caroline's laugh in response.

"Who needs to eat anyway?" Caroline grumbled, her pout firmly in place. She released Kate and prompted her to move forward and turn so they could kiss. It started out rather chaste, but soon enough both women were sighing contently as the kiss turned deeper, more passionate. Hands tangling in one another's hair, eliciting moans and gasps.

"Upstairs?" Kate asked hopefully when they had finally paused to try and get some much needed air. At Caroline's nod, she stood up, grabbing her girlfriend's hand and pulling her up before leading her upstairs to the bedroom.

After stumbling up the stairs and falling into the bedroom, Kate pulled Caroline to the bed, giving short, sharp kisses along the way which only served to spike Caroline's lust further. "We've still got a while yet." Kate grinned, fingers entwined with Caroline's, pushing her down on the bed. "Oh God," she said suddenly, causing Caroline to look at her with concern, "You are so beautiful." Kate stated, the sincerity clear in her voice as she gave Caroline the once.. or twice.. over.

As they continued with their kissing, their tongues flicking and twisting against each other's with wild abandon, Kate reached for Caroline's shirt, pulling it out from the skirt in a move she had learnt from her girlfriend and sliding her hands upwards, reveling in the skin-on-skin contact. It was only as she felt Caroline stiffen beneath her wandering hands that she stopped rather abruptly. Feeling embarrassed and fairly certain that this was going to end badly, Kate sat up, her already flushed face now blushing brilliantly, her eyes immediately wary. "Sorry." she muttered, biting on her lower lip as she almost certainly expected Caroline to bolt and say she'd made a mistake. She moved away from her on the bed, feeling suddenly rather cold, almost amazed at how the mood could change in such a short time.

"No, no." Caroline started, blushing herself as she sat up and looked at Kate with apprehension in her eyes. "It's not that." she reached over and took Kate's hand again, feeling a jolt of sadness as she noted Kate's reluctance. Who could blame her though? Caroline had been so conflicted about their relationship for so long, how could anyone expect Kate to react any differently if she perceived rejection. "Kate, look at me."

Slowly, Kate moved her head to face Caroline's. Although she'd tried to hide the anxiety she felt, she wasn't sure she'd managed it as Caroline raised her free hand to rest against her cheek.

"Stop worrying," Caroline said softly. "I just.. I'm just a bit nervous. You.. I mean, look at you!" Caroline removed her hand from Kate's cheek and gestured. "You are.. beautiful. You are actually gorgeous. And.. well.. look at me." Kate didn't grasp her point no matter how much her girlfriend then gestured to herself, much to Caroline's frustration. "I've had _two_ children. And.. I'm older than you. I'm.. I just.. I don't have time to go to the stupid gym." she added, forlornly.

Realization dawned on Kate as she listened. The relief was immediate, though incredulity was the emotion that showed across her face. Now it was her turn to try and enlighten Caroline. She squeezed her hand. "You listen to me, Caroline, and you listen good. I know that you have felt.. rubbish.. self-esteem wise lately, maybe for a long time. I understand that. But there is no need to be. You are magnificent. Your body is.. wow. Do you think I'd be this determined to get your clothes off if I thought any other way?" she looked at Caroline intently, desperately hoping her eyes were conveying what she so genuinely felt. "You make me feel giddy. You make me ache for you. I honestly think you are absolutely stunning. And I know that I'm right."

Caroline looked down, annoyed that her insecurities were choosing this particular time to rise to the surface. "But.. John. He.. went for something better."

"John is a prick, and I think he needs to look into acquiring some glasses." Kate said sternly, and Caroline shot her head up in surprise. She knew how Kate felt about her soon-to-be-ex-husband - pretty much the same way as her - but she also knew that Kate usually kept tight lipped about him. "I want you Caroline. I want _all_ of you. I want your little tantrums, I want your absolutely foul moods - seriously, they are _bad_ - I want your giggles and good moods. I want your family, I want to be a huge part of your life. And I want.. you. I think that you are _glorious._" she leaned over and gave Caroline a lingering kiss. "Anyone who makes you feel any less than the beauty that you are, doesn't deserve you." she whispered, squeezing her girlfriend's hand and looking at her with eyes that portrayed true sentiment. "Oh God," Kate said suddenly, some more memories coming to her. "Is this why you backed away from doing anything the night Celia dragged me back to yours?"

"Maybe." Caroline gave a small smile. "I don't know.. I just feel a bit.. inadequate when I look at you."

"You have _nothing_ to feel even remotely self-conscious about. If you hadn't made it clear that you just wanted to talk that night, I can assure you that those events would have ended quite differently. I am.. _crazy_ about you." Kate gave Caroline another kiss. "Please, trust me." she breathed, moving her head down to kiss the sensitive skin on Caroline's neck. Her lips traced along her girlfriend's jaw, up the neck, nibbled gently at her ear-lobe, all of this causing Caroline to groan, her voice thick with lust.

"Okay," Caroline said throatily, her hands inquisitively searching Kate's body, her heart hammering at an alarming rate as she finally realized that Kate was someone she could trust. "Okay," she repeated, "I trust you." She felt Kate grin, and she slid down the bed, closely followed by the her lover, and soon the only noises punctuating the air were ones of lust and deep rooted desire.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Caroline and Kate flopped back against the pillows, both sated and exhilarated. Caroline slid her hand beneath the covers to find Kate's while she raked her free hand through her hair which was now stuck to her face with perspiration. "Wow," she breathed, a grin on her face as she turned her head to face Kate's. "That was.. remarkable."

"And so are you." Kate replied, breathing still hitched with excitement. "You are _glorious_." She squeezed her girlfriend's hand, a shiver running through her as her mind processed the thought that she was in bed with this sexy and naked woman, and the memory of what they'd just done made her smile become wider.

"Thank you," Caroline murmured, "for everything. For being so understanding, and kind, and beautiful, and wonderful. Thank you for putting up with me and all my fears and.. rubbish. And thank you for waiting."

"It was all worth it," Kate said, a twinkle in her eye. "I think I should cook for you more often if that's the reward I get." She paused, momentarily distracted as she looked at Caroline. "You are worth every minute of waiting. And, just so you know, if I had to, I would wait all over again. I think you are.." she sighed, trying to find a word that fully expressed just how she felt, ".. amazing." She sensed that Caroline was about to interrupt, probably to dismiss what Kate had just said and so she raised a finger to her lips. "And you tell me about learning to accept compliments?" she grinned, "Pot. Kettle. Very black."

Caroline parted her lips slightly and sucked Kate's finger into her mouth before biting down on it gently causing both of their hearts to once again race frantically. Before they could continue down that particular lust-filled path Caroline's mobile rang abruptly pulling them out of their reverie. Caroline smiled regretfully as she sat up in the bed and reached to the floor where her bag lay. As she scrabbled through her bag, wondering why it always seemed to suddenly become endless and Mary-Poppins-like when she actually needed something out of it, Kate sat up next to her and shifted closer, the skin-on-skin interaction threatening to end all intentions of finding the mobile. Just as Caroline was seriously considering whether she could resist Kate and whether it would really be a big deal if she forgoed the phone-call, her phone slid into grasp. Without time to check the caller ID, she hurriedly pulled out it of her bag and hit the answer button.

"Hello?" She mentally berated herself for being unable to hide the breathlessness from her tone.

"Mum? It's Laurence." Hearing her son caused her to sit up straighter, at once feeling concern flood through her.

"Hi love. Is everything okay?" She looked over at Kate who seemed to understand it must be one of the children on the phone as she also wore a concerned expression.

"Er-yes. Kind of." Laurence answered, and Caroline could hear the hesitation in his voice.

"What's the matter, love?"

"Dad is here and he's having a really big argument with William. They're shouting at each other and I just.. I'm sorry for calling. I just thought you should know."

"Of course, Laurence. Don't be sorry. Where are you? I can't hear any shouting." As she spoke, she pulled the throw towards her from the end of the bed and deftly wrapped it around herself before sliding out of Kate's bed and searching for her clothes.

"I've come up to my room. They're really angry, Mum."

Caroline felt her heart go out to her youngest son. He was so sensitive and she knew that even the slightest hint of confrontation would upset him and lead him to try and get as far away from it as possible. "Okay, love. Don't worry. I'll be home in fifteen minutes, okay?" she soothed, heading for the bathroom to get dressed.

After another minute of reassurances, Caroline had ended the call and gotten dressed in record time. She returned to the bedroom to find Kate also dressed and gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for. What's wrong? Is Laurence okay?" Kate asked, knowing that while she'd miss Caroline when she went, it really couldn't be helped. She could see the regret in her girlfriend's face and knowing that Caroline didn't really want to leave helped assuage some of Kate's own anxieties about how Caroline felt about her.

"It's John." Caroline said, picking up her bag and retrieving her car keys. "Apparently he's back at the house and is currently starting World War 3 with William. Again." She started to head down the stairs with Kate following closely behind.

"Oh dear. No wonder Laurence called. I hope William's okay." She stopped by the front door as Caroline turned around to face her.

"Oh, he can give as good as he gets," Caroline said, a brief grin lighting her face. "I'm really sorry for.. this." She gestured into thin air trying to convey how much she wanted to stay.

"Shush.." Kate replied, leaning forward to place a quick kiss on the corner of Caroline's mouth. "Call me when it's all calmed down, yeah?" She noticed her girlfriend hesitate at the doorstep and couldn't help smiling. "Go! I'll talk to you later." As she watched Caroline walk down the path and around the corner to her car, Kate leaned lightly against the door frame brushing away the sudden feeling of loneliness before heading back inside to tackle the dishes.

xxx

As Caroline opened the front door to her house twenty minutes later she was greeted by angry shouting. Pausing briefly to take off her coat and put her bag on the table in the hallway, she rolled her eyes before following the noise until she ended up in the kitchen.

"I've _done_ about as much revision as I can do! What is your problem?" William said, sounding more than a little irked.

"I just think there is never enough time to revise, so why don't you go up to your room and do it?" John was red in the face and Caroline spotted an almost empty wine bottle lurking on the kitchen counter.

William spotted his mother then who was standing in the doorway. "Hi Mum. Sorry, Dad is just being an idiot." He turned back to his father, "I was in the middle of revision just now when I had to come down and sort your dinner out because you almost set the kitchen on fire!"

John, acting like he had been for the past two weeks, simply ignored Caroline and carried on with his argument. "I didn't 'almost set the kitchen on fire', William. There was only a small flame and I got it out straight away with the tea-towel. Don't exaggerate."

"_Don't _tell me what to do. This is the thing, Dad. You piss off for 3 months with that- that- alcoholic whore and then you expect to come back in and have the same respect that you'd once been given from me! You walked out on us, Dad. Don't forget that all of this is what _you_ caused." William stood by the fridge, face flushed from anger. Caroline started to interrupt, not liking her son getting worked up, but William held up his hand. "It's okay, Mum. He just needs some home truths. I'm okay. Honest." He glanced over at her briefly with a small smile.

"See?! You're all over your mother.. the.. the.. the _lesbian_ of the family! The woman who lied to me for eigh_teen_ years of marriage! Yet as soon as I put one step wrong, it's all my fault! Why don't you have a go at her for once?" John spluttered, whirling around and pouring the last of the wine into his glass.

"Because _you _walked out on _her_! Because I've never _ever _seen her as happy as she is now. The fact that she is in a relationship with another woman is irrelevant. As long as she is happy, that's all that matters, and _you_ made her unhappy in the first place and then ran away so you didn't have to see what you'd done! The only reason you came back is because you realized that _Judith_ was as big a pisshead as you are." He turned to his mother again, "I'm going upstairs, Mum. I'll come and find you later." As he passed, he gave Caroline a peck on the cheek.

When Caroline heard his bedroom door close, she turned back to John, slowly clapping her hands together with more than a hint of sarcasm. "Well done! I mean _really_, top notch stuff there!"

"Oh, don't you bloody start. It's all your fault!" John drained his glass and put it back on the counter with a thud.

"Don't you think.. and this might be a _ludicrous_ thought, but what the hell, I'll put it out there anyway.. don't you think that all of this..' she gestured at John, "and all of the arguing, might be detrimental to the boys? Almost every time I've come home while you're here you've been pissed and/or in the middle of an argument. You need to sort yourself out, John."

"Oh, I do, do I?" he sniped. "You're the one who.. shacked up with.. with.. her. You've probably been with that.. _dyke_ all evening!"

"It is no longer any of your business where I spend my time, though actually you're right. And.. ooh.. it was.. _fantastic_! Anyway, I'm not going through this again," Caroline said simply, taking a step towards the stairs. "Grow up."

"_Grow up,_" John mimicked. He started to say something else, but Caroline was already heading up the stairs to see her boys.

xxx

"Hello?" Kate answered her mobile while muting the television and getting comfortable on the settee.

"Hi. Just me." Caroline replied, immediately feeling the stress ebb away as she heard her girlfriend's voice.

"Hello, just you." Kate grinned, pleased that Caroline had remembered to call her and reprimanding herself for managing to convince herself that Caroline wouldn't. It would take a while to get used to the new equilibrium of their relationship, to acknowledge and accept that Caroline wanted her as much as Kate wanted Caroline, that it wouldn't just be Kate doing all the chasing anymore and sometimes, like tonight, her old insecurities came to the forefront. It didn't matter now though, Caroline had called and all felt right again. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Caroline said wearily, laying back in bed with her eyes closed trying to focus on the evening she had spent with Kate. "John was pissed and nagging William. You know what he's like."

"Doesn't he realise how unfair this is to you and the boys? Are William and Laurence okay?"

"I think so. I spent some time with Laurence, bless him. He's just so sensitive, he hates all the arguments. To be honest, I think he's had enough of his Dad being around which I never thought would be the case. He's always been close to John."

"Well, it's hardly surprising is it? If John keeps behaving like he is no wonder Laurence is upset with it all. At least he has you." Kate said gently, aware of how much Caroline beat herself up worrying if she was as good a parent as the boys needed. Behind that hardened exterior, Caroline really wasn't all that tough and Kate's heart gave a little tug as she realised that all over again.

"I don't know. He seemed much better after we had a chat though. He's such a good lad. Oh, and he said to say hello to you. In fact, he wanted to know if you were going to come around tomorrow night while we celebrate William finishing his last exam."

"Really?" Kate felt touched. It must have been hard for the boys to find out their mother was dating a woman, and not only that, the woman she was dating was also one of their teachers but they still accepted her and tried to make her feel welcome. "I don't know.. I mean, wouldn't it be nicer if it was just you three without anyone intruding?"

"Hey!" Caroline started, warmed by Kate's consideration but knowing that her and the boys genuinely did want to share their lives with her. "You wouldn't be intruding! To be honest, I think they were both a bit put out that you didn't come around tonight and I came to yours instead. And not only did Laurence want you to come tomorrow, weirdly enough William said the exact same thing when I went to check on him after. Please come." she said softly, still finding it difficult to show her emotions like a 'normal' person - whatever that was - but knowing that Kate deserved to know that she really was wanted in her family.

"What if John comes over?" Kate asked tentatively.

"What _if_ John comes over?"

"I don't want to make it awkward for you or the boys. It must be hard enough for you all as it is already and I think we both know that John isn't exactly accepting of.. us."

"I don't give a shit what John thinks." Caroline stated fiercely. "I won't let him dictate who or what I see or do. We want you here. And.." her voice turned coy, ".. I mean, if you come over.. there could be a repeat of last night." The coquettish smile was clear in Caroline's voice. "If you wanted, that is."

"Oh you little tease." Kate laughed, feeling all warm at the prospect of another desire filled evening with Caroline. "You've twisted my arm! As long as you're _sure _the boys won't mind."

"Of course I am. To be honest, I think they're excited about not having to call you Miss McKenzie." Caroline grinned. "Will you.." she suddenly paused, biting her lip as she pushed forward with what she wanted to say. "Will you stay? Overnight, I mean."

"Yes. Please. I mean.. that would be lovely." Kate leaned back into the settee, smiling at how excited she was at the very thought. "Oh.. I have an after-class group tomorrow though. Does that change things?"

"What time do you finish?" Caroline asked, knowing that no matter how late it was she would stall any dinner plans so that Kate could be there.

"I could be at yours by 5.30pm I think." Kate answered, mentally going through tomorrow's timetable as she spoke.

"That sounds perfect. Oh, you might want to bring a clean set of clothes for Wednesday." Caroline had to refrain from pinching herself to ensure this wasn't some sort of amazing dream, smiling wildly to herself when she realised that this really was happening. After all this time she was with Kate and it was bloody fantastic.

"Good idea. I can't wait."

"Me neither. And I'll be cooking tomorrow so it'll be your turn to provide the dessert." Caroline said, a flirty undertone colouring her voice. Her grin broadened as she heard Kate laugh.

"No problem. Though we'll have to keep the noise down what with the boys."

"That's why this all works out so well. Your place is perfect for when we.. you know.. get a bit loud and over excited." Caroline flushed slightly though she reveled in her new-found relationship and she was very much looking forward to spending many a night with her lover exploring each other's bodies. "And my house is where we have to be quiet and keep the noise down no matter how.. _heated_.. things get. Exciting, don't you think?"

"I really do." Kate replied, feeling a little thrill rush through her. "What are you going to do about John?" she asked, not out of personal requirement, more out of concern for the havoc he was wreaking with Caroline and the boys.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm going to have to do something though. He's upsetting the boys one way or another every day and I'm not having that. They've got enough going on without stressing about how their father is going to be all the time. I've been thinking about just telling him to move out. I still need to file for divorce. If Alan hadn't fallen so ill, I would have done that weeks ago, but you know how it's been."

"I know. You've just got to do what you think is best. I know how you've been working yourself up over all this stuff with John and that's not fair on you." Kate didn't want to come across as if she were applying pressure to her girlfriend to sort all this out with John but she knew she had to say something. John either didn't realize how much of a negative effect he was having on the family, or he did realise this and was just being a complete bastard. Not that she would ever say it quite so bluntly to Caroline. Kate didn't want to fully air just how she felt about John as she didn't think that would be fair, but more than a few times she wished that she could speak to him directly, especially in those moments when Caroline was overly upset about his recent behaviour or when she heard that the boys were suffering because of it.

"Well, I've decided to call my solicitor tomorrow, so that will be something less to worry about." Caroline said, snuggling into her pillow and fervently wishing that it was Kate she was snuggling into instead. "And to be honest, the only time he comes back is when he is pissed and wants to start an argument, so I don't think it would be unreasonable for me to tell him to just.. well.. fuck off."

Kate smiled, once again finding it hard to keep a straight face when Caroline swore. She didn't know what tickled her so much about it, but it rarely failed to make her grin. "I think you're right there." She heard Caroline make a sound of discontent. "What's the matter?"

"Oh nothing." Caroline replied, feeling much more relaxed than she had before this conversation had taken place and thanking her lucky stars for having Kate. "Just wishing you were here, that's all."

"Believe me, I feel exactly the same way. This evening was rather.. delicious." Kate said, tucking her legs beneath her in an attempt to get comfortable again.

"It was." Caroline replied a husky tone edging into her voice. "I must say I'm rather looking forward to what tomorrow night may bring."

"I'm guessing it'll be up to me to provide the silver platter.." Kate teased, pausing as she heard Caroline yawn. "Keeping you up, am I?!"

"No, no.." Caroline murmured softly, fighting the overwhelming need to sleep. "Just.. been a long day. And I used up quite a lot of energy earlier, if you remember." She smiled at the memory as another yawn overtook her.

"Get some sleep, love." Kate said warmly, feeling tired herself. "I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for tonight."

"Mmm.." Caroline said, not managing more than a moan as her mind suddenly kicked into sleep mode. "I'll speak to you tomorrow." she added though it came out as no more than an almost incomprehensible mumble as the phone slipped from her hand and she drifted into a very contented sleep.


End file.
